Chapter 22
Episode 22
The Price of Sweet Sin (2)
Abbess Geumhwa was one of the leaders of the Nine Great Orthodox Sects.
Under normal circumstances, even if Se-woon was the young master of the Tang Family—
No, precisely because he was merely the young master of the Tang Family—
He would never dare to order her, someone far above him in seniority, to follow his words.
......Could it be?
But Abbess Geumhwa, driven by a faint glimmer of hope, ignored such discourtesy and anxiously waited for Se-woon's next Sound Transmission.
And then—
[If the Abbess would simply follow my lead, I will step forward and resolve the discord between our factions.]
[You...!]
Abbess Geumhwa couldn't suppress the surge of emotion in her chest.
Ah, so the righteousness of the martial world had not yet perished.
Her cautious hope had become reality.
The nonsensical words Se-woon had spouted earlier were indeed fabricated to aid her.
[Given the urgency, please first repeat after me.]
[Ah, understood!]
Setting aside her gratitude for the moment, she listened carefully to Se-woon's instructions.
Soon, Abbess Geumhwa's demeanor shifted.
Straightening her posture, she began repeating his words verbatim, one phrase at a time.
"Ahem, no. It is also true that I wished to assess your talent without prejudice and thus made the mistake of not revealing my identity beforehand."
"Hah, I appreciate you saying so."
"But are you truly unharmed? You collapsed suddenly despite not using any martial techniques—I feared I might have erred."
"Not at all. As I mentioned earlier, it was simply exhaustion from tending to patients day and night. Please do not concern yourself."
Murmurs erupted among the Tang Family disciples.
Listening to their exchange, it seemed the conflict had indeed stemmed from a misunderstanding.
"W-wait, then the young master's story was true all along?"
"Gasp! Does that mean the Divine Doctor truly intends to impart teachings to the young master?"
"If the young master's medical skills improve further, the title of the next Divine Doctor might belong to our—!"
By now, all traces of anger toward Abbess Geumhwa and the Emei Sect had vanished from the disciples' faces.
In the current martial world of Sichuan, the reputation and influence of the Tiger-Subduing Divine Doctor were immense.
Seizing the moment, Abbess Geumhwa secretly exhaled in relief and sent another Sound Transmission to Se-woon.
[Phew, thank you for preserving this foolish senior's dignity.]
[Not at all. Are we not both of the Orthodox Faction? There's no need to prolong a conflict born from misunderstanding.]
[Indeed! Such mishaps are inevitable when collaborating—]
[Well, though I suffered minor injuries, it's hardly a life-threatening wound, is it?]
[......I truly apologize.]
Following Se-woon's silent cues, Abbess Geumhwa moved her lips like a puppet on strings.
The more their act unfolded, the more fervent the Tang Family disciples' reactions became.
'Hmm, one final touch should seal their trust.'
Se-woon decided to proceed to the next step immediately.
His eyes met Tang Mu-yeol's.
A flicker of understanding passed between them.
Slowly, Tang Mu-yeol raised his right hand.
The clamor in the hall died down instantly.
The performance began.
"Young Master, is everything you've said thus far the truth?"
"Yes. Otherwise, how could I dare invoke the names of the Emei Sect and the Abbess so carelessly?"
"You foolish boy!"
"!?"
Tang Mu-yeol's thunderous roar startled Abbess Geumhwa and the Emei disciples, their eyes widening in shock.
"Do you realize your actions could have sparked a bloody feud between our factions?"
"L-Lord Tang, please calm down—"
"Even if you suspected they were stealing our family's secrets, how could you attack without first ascertaining the truth?"
"—!"
Abbess Geumhwa tried to pacify the enraged Tang Mu-yeol, but when he mentioned stealing family secrets again, she flinched and clamped her mouth shut like a clam.
The thawing atmosphere froze over once more.
But none present—least of all Abbess Geumhwa—could have guessed the truth.
[Ahem. Is this sufficient?]
[Father... Since when were you such a skilled actor?]
[Oh? Is that so?]
In reality, Se-woon and Tang Mu-yeol were struggling to suppress their laughter.
For different reasons, both were fighting to keep their lips from twitching.
'To think Father had this hidden side.'
Tang Mu-yeol's acting surpassed Se-woon's expectations—far too convincing.
It seemed that beneath his righteous exterior, the man secretly harbored a desire for mischief.
Discovering this previously unknown facet of his father, Se-woon found it difficult to maintain his solemn expression.
As for Tang Mu-yeol—
'......Hah, this is more fun than I expected.'
Unbeknownst to himself, he was tapping into a latent talent.
Bit by bit, he was being drawn into the dangerous game his son had devised.
The two maintained flawless expressions as they continued their feigned dispute.
"I acted rashly. I only intended to threaten them with practice daggers—"
"Nonsense! Even if they were completely blunt practice daggers, that doesn't excuse your recklessness!"
"......My apologies, Family Head."
Tang Mu-yeol emphasized the words completely blunt with particular force.
The Emei disciples' faces twisted in bewilderment.
'......They were blunt?'
Cheong Yeon's complexion paled drastically.
If Tang Mu-yeol spoke the truth, her mistake was far graver than she'd thought.
Though Se-woon had struck first, he had wielded dulled daggers—
While she had drawn a live blade.
Had Se-woon pressed the issue, her master might have suffered even greater humiliation.
"Sigh. It seems my child was correct—this was all a misunderstanding. I apologize for my earlier actions."
"N-no, Family Head. Given the circumstances, think nothing of it. Moreover, my disciple also erred—"
"I-I'm sorry."
Thud.
The Tang Family disciples jolted in surprise.
Cheong Yeon had abruptly knelt before Se-woon.
What mistake could warrant such a gesture from a disciple of the Emei Sect's leader?
Since only Se-woon had witnessed the events preceding the fight, the others were utterly baffled.
On this matter, Cheong Yeon had acted faster than even Abbess Geumhwa, who had intended to speak frankly.
"A disciple of a renowned sect need not kneel so carelessly."
"......!"
Before she knew it, Se-woon had approached and lifted her to her feet.
As Cheong Yeon stood frozen in shock, he continued.
"Though our Tang Family is known for its strictness in matters of vengeance, we do not force others to kneel over mere insults."
"—!"
What was this?
She had drawn her sword—not hurled insults.
'Ah!'
The moment she met Se-woon's gaze—filled with inexplicable mercy—
Cheong Yeon belatedly grasped his intent.
'He's covering for me—pretending it was just verbal abuse.'
That was it. He had chosen to overlook her blunder.
How could such magnanimity exist?
To forgive so generously the enemy who had raised a blade against him.
Perhaps due to the sudden release of tension, tears welled in Cheong Yeon's eyes.
"Sniff... Thank you. No—I'm sorry."
"......Thank you for your understanding, Young Master."
"Not at all. She's still young—it's natural to struggle with restraint."
Watching Cheong Yeon's trembling form, Abbess Geumhwa expressed genuine gratitude to Se-woon.
At this point, not a shred of suspicion toward him remained in her heart.
But behind Se-woon's benevolent smile lay a far different truth.
'Did you think kneeling would be enough?'
Later, I'll wring you dry—until tears and snot pour from your face.
Se-woon never forgot a grudge.
"Hoho, the Young Master truly inherits his father's chivalrous spirit."
"The Abbess flatters me—I'm undeserving."
"Flattery? I merely speak as I see."
"Sigh, I can only thank you for looking kindly upon my foolish child."
For a while, Tang Mu-yeol and Abbess Geumhwa exchanged pleasantries, each polishing the other's reputation.
The storm had passed, leaving only spring breezes in its wake.
But then, Se-woon cautiously broached the next topic.
"Now that the misunderstanding is resolved, shall we proceed to the main discussion?"
Now came the plundering—
No, the negotiation.
Ha-young had possessed sharp eyes since childhood.
Not in the literal sense of keen vision—
But in her ability to peer into people's hearts after just a few glances.
Her master, the Divine Doctor Bo-yeon, once remarked that it was a lesser version of Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak's Golden Pure Eyes.
When villagers, fearing her "demonic" gaze, drove the orphaned girl from their homes, her gift had felt like a curse.
But after joining the Emei Sect and rising to the rank of head disciple, she reaped its benefits fully.
As a result, Ha-young had developed a habit—she couldn't rest until she dissected a person's motives like peeling an onion.
Yet today, for the first time in her life, she felt utterly bewildered.
'......Just who is this man?'
Her unsteady gaze lingered on a certain young man.
After Tang Mu-yeol dismissed the disciples, only direct family members and sect leaders remained in the meeting hall.
And now, the one leading the discussion was none other than the young master—Tang Se-woon.
Her confusion stemmed from a simple contradiction.
The benevolent, chivalrous figure who had forgiven her junior sister with a smile—
"......You want the abandoned mine in Ssangryu County's Wol Mountain?"
"Yes, precisely."
"Hmm, the Wol Mountain mine is indeed deserted, so that's no issue. But Ssangryu County borders the Qingcheng Faction's territory—they might not easily—"
"Kgh— Suddenly, my dantian..."
"......approve. But never mind—I'll ensure the Emei Sect secures permission."
—and the shrewd opportunist leveraging their mistakes for gain.
The disparity was staggering.
"Next, I'd like access to the Murim Alliance's main forge."
"Ghk— My apologies, but that's beyond my authority. The Alliance's forge requires permission from the Grand Blacksmith, Daeno—"
"Ah— My left arm suddenly—"
"......However, as an elder of the Murim Alliance, I'll personally negotiate with Daeno."
Yet she couldn't call him a two-faced villain either.
'......If anything, he's only demanding feasible concessions—things that would benefit us as well.'
Each time Se-woon made a request, Abbess Geumhwa grew more perplexed.
He rejected all substantial monetary compensations—
Instead insisting on bizarre, unpredictable demands.
An abandoned mine with no apparent value.
A request for the Murim Alliance's strategist to be assigned as his bodyguard.
None seemed advantageous to the Tang Family in any obvious way.
'......I give up. I can't figure him out.'
Just as Ha-young abandoned her attempt to decipher Se-woon's schemes—
Her retreating gaze met his.
Flick.
"—!"
What was this?
She froze.
Because Se-woon had deliberately averted his eyes upon meeting hers.
In that fleeting moment, a trace of emotion slipped through.
'Why would he avoid me...?'
And—
The emotion she glimpsed was unmistakably—